Wine of the Week: 2009 Michele Chiarlo 'Reyna' Barbaresco

"It's not the size of the price on the bottle, it's the size of the wine in the bottle that counts!" ~ A wise vino-sapien

Today's wine of the moment is not a sample, pitched to me by a PR company eager to have their clients wine splashed across a hundred media outlets. It's also not a Trader Joe's under twenty selection, nor is it available at Costco. This wine doesn't play in a band, it doesn't run marathons, and you won't catch it doing hot Yoga or early morning Pilates. 

But what this wine does have is real soul and substance that you can taste in each sip and maybe even the occasional long slurp. The color in the picture is not entirely accurate; it has bit burnt orange in the core and a bit lighter than the picture suggest. 

In a word, this wine is finely textured. It has layers of complexity which just beg to be decanted, for maximum enjoyment. Sweet floral notes escape quickly from the glass, while the initial splashdown reveals edgy Nebbiolo size tannins, not fully integrated. You'll find loads of rich, sweet tobacco, baked cherry, and licorice flavors, abound, but they do seem to fade away a bit too quickly on the brisk finish. All the action is mid-palate, but I'm quite happy with that nonetheless. 

This wine sells for $32 at most wine shops, and will not be found in grocery stores. I scored this wine 91 points for suave sophistication and its organic originality, a beautifully well-done wine that will have you wanting to have a second bottle nearby. 

Again a wine with real soul and substance a bottle of wine that is so worth the price of admission. While it's not a wine that has the depth of other Barbaresco's I've encountered, it was a great blast in the glass today, one I'd recommend you give a swirl soon. Until next time folks, continue to sip long and prosper cheers!